Template talk:Welcome

Derived from the Wikipedia version. Use {{subst:welcome}} to include it on a talk page. -- Taxibot Yellow 15:40, 24 Feb 2006 (PST)

I didn't even realize this was here and was getting ready to add it. Anyway, I've expanded it and added some info that may not be obvious (like changing your password and the RSS feed). --StarGeek 14:00, 3 July 2006 (PDT)

Sign or depersonalize?

Currently, the welcome message is worded in such a way that it sounds very much like a message left from one user to another, even if it does sound like a bit standardized. Language like "I hope you like..." and "If you need help, ask me on my talk page..." very much suggest that it's from one user to another.

However, this template is very often used without being signed, contrary to its own request: "Please sign your name on talk pages using four tildes (~~~~)".

I would like to propose that one of the following two changes be made:

1. We change the language to be less of a personal greeting. Get rid of references to "I" and "me", for example.

2. We make the template automatically sign itself. This can be used by adding this: ~~<noinclude></noinclude>~~. When using subst:, this will evaluate to become an actual signature. (I've seen the trick used in the past on other wikis.)

I think it's worth changing one way or the other. Without a signature, it sets a bad precedent to new users. It can also be a bit disorienting--I know my reaction to it was "cool, I'm being welcomed... but by who?".

Any thoughts? Since Snorii's the main person using this, I'd rather not make any changes to it until he has a chance to comment. -- Sekoia 15:56, 24 April 2007 (PDT)

Aggelakis brought the signing up on the forums, so I went ahead and added the auto-signing feature. It required a bit of "magic" (mentioned above) but should work. -- Sekoia 22:07, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

helpme

From the welcome message:

...or place {{helpme}} on your talk page and someone will show up shortly to answer your questions...

{{helpme}} adds the page to :Category:Paragonians looking for help. Does anybody actively monitor that category? If not, maybe we should encourage people who need help to visit the forums or something instead? -- Sekoia 16:00, 24 April 2007 (PDT)

Guide to Editing?

I've been thinking about putting together some sort of guide along the lines of Editing ParagonWiki for the Wiki-Illiterate and having the welcome message link to it. Generally, I think it would turn out something like the Help page, but with more explanations about how/why things work they way they do, plus a few examples of neat things people have done with the Wiki. If this sounds a little redundant or like it isn't strictly ParagonWiki material, I'll just nevermind, but I think it might be useful for newer editors (like myself). Any thoughts? Lightprince 18:48, 24 February 2009 (UTC)

I would recommend putting it in the Help or Paragon Wiki namespaces -- maybe something more like Paragon Wiki:Editing for the Wiki-Illiterate? It really doesn't belong in the main namespace but I don't think there's any problem with having it on the wiki somewhere. I think it's a good idea, personally. I'm not aware of anything that's similar to it, either, offhand. -- Sekoia 20:44, 24 February 2009 (UTC)

Agreed. That would be a really good addition to the wiki. --Eabrace 22:26, 24 February 2009 (UTC)

Auto-signing and dashes

I notice that some users (such as Thirty7 and Agge) have a signature that includes a dash of its own. Thus when using this template, you end up with two sets of dashes. If you want, you can now use {{subst:welcome|~~~~}} to make the messages and it'll sign with just your signature, which will exclude the built-in dashes. -- Sekoia 21:53, 20 June 2012 (UTC)

NICE! This makes me happy. User:Thirty7/Sig 02:49, 21 June 2012 (UTC)